1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a part supply apparatus for supplying various kinds of part.
2. Background Art
In a conventional assembling apparatus for assembling various parts into a product, parts conveyed by a part supply apparatus are recognized by a camera, an assembling robot moves to the parts recognized by the camera, takes out such parts from the part supply apparatus and inserts the parts into their given portions of the product. Parts, which could not have been recognized by the camera, are made to circulate again through a given conveying route and are then fed to the part supply apparatus.
There is proposed a technology relating to a part supply apparatus for supplying parts to an assembling robot (Patent Document 1). That is, the part supply apparatus includes an attitude arranging unit for arranging attitudes of parts. Specifically, after the attitudes of the parts are arranged by the attitude arranging unit, the parts are fed to their take-out position, the attitudes of the parts are recognized at the take-out position by a CCD camera and, when the attitudes of the parts are found within a given range of attitudes, the parts are taken out by the assembling robot. On the other hand, the parts, the attitudes of which are found not proper, are fed to the return conveyor side and are circulatingly moved back to the part supply apparatus.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2000-233823
According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the attitudes of parts are arranged at the take-out position by the attitude arranging unit before the attitudes of the parts are recognized by the CCD camera, the accuracy of the parts recognition by the CCD camera can be enhanced. Also, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, as the attitude arranging unit, there is provided a mechanism for vibrating a shooter which constitutes the convey route of the parts.
However, although the general purpose property of the part supply apparatus can be expected to a certain degree due to provision of the attitude arranging unit, since some of parts are difficult to arrange their attitudes even when they are vibrated, the applicable range of the part supply apparatus is limited. Thus, there has been desired the development of a part supply apparatus which has a higher general purpose property.